June - Month Two

Dear Bubs,

We made it through your first month relatively intact.  We learned lots of things about you:

Dislikes:
You don't like sleeping on your back.
You don't especially like to be put down.
You don't like your carseat.
You don't like your swing, bouncy seat or any of the other 100 contraptions that we have filling our house.

Likes:
You like to be swaddled.
You like your lambie and we put it on the rain sound for you when you sleep.
You like to lay in your boppy lounger on your tummy.
You like to eat. a. lot. and. all. the. time.
You like taking baths and get really relaxed.
You like to be worn in the Moby wrap or carried in the Baby Bjorn.

Relaxed and smiley right after a bath

Taking a picture to send to Gramma....I was wearing you around so I could get some things done!

We spent lots of time taking walks together...I was still having some residual "issues" after your birth so I learned where every potty was within a 8 block radius of home.  I also learned which ones were easy to get the stroller in and out of and which ones weren't.  Let's hear a boo-ya! for the Starbuck's with the extra large doors and bathrooms!  Bonus - a good excuse to get a Venti iced vanilla latte and blueberry scone.

We got better at nursing.  Even ventured out in public and whipped out the mammaries.  You are so darn antsy when nursing that it sometimes looked like I had a rabid animal under my Hooter-Hider, but we did okay.  You hate that darn cover (sorry Auntie Katie!).  You at least got enough to tide you over until we got home and you could have unrestricted access to your mama.  Oh that's one more thing we learned...you want what you want, when you want it!  No trying to coax you into liking something you don't or chilling out until you can have it later.  You let us and everyone know who's the boss.

Whoever said "sleep when the baby sleeps" must not have been around a baby who only sleeps for 30 minutes at a time during the day.  Everytime I'd try to take a nap at the same time, you'd cry just as soon as I was able to doze off.  Soon I just started holding you for your naps -which would buy me a little more time.  I cursed all of those people who said their babies started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks.  I think people must be lying...we were lucky to get 2-3 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night with you!  Our best nights of sleep came when I put you in bed with us...you loved to snuggle up to me.  And I think I loved it more.

You really started liking your tummy time.  You are such a strong boy!  You were already pushing your legs up and scooting around on your playmat.  Your big 'ol head was more steady now and you also love to stand up on our lap!  You do these grunts and hold your arms out straight....sorta like you're saying "see how strong I am mom?!".  Oh boy, I do know how strong you are Bubba!

Tummy time

Practicing your standing.

We had a visitor for a long weekend too...Grandpapski Esaak came to visit you.  You had a great time with him even if he did have to turn the TV up louder when you were crying!  We spent some time outside that weekend and you earned the name "Mr Pibb".  For some reason, this face makes me and daddy laugh and the nickname stuck.

Mr. Pibb

Grandpapski Esaak

We also went home to see your cousin Lily in her dance recital!  Nana and Papa got to babysit you for the very first time without mama around.  You did great; mama was antsy to get back to you.  You slept for the first time for 4 hours at night on this trip - on your tummy on your boppy, inside the pack n play.  I was still a little (lot) nervous to leave you on your tummy at night what with all of the scare tactics that they tell you about SIDS.  So even though you slept for 4 hours, I was still up every hour and a half just making sure you weren't drowning in your spit up or smashing your face into the boppy, sucking in tiny fibers that would cause you to suffocate.  WELL - hindsight is 20/20 - you were just fine and I should have taken advantage of those 4 hours.

A couple weeks later we went Up North for the Fourth of July.  It was your first trip to the cottage and I was so excited for you!  Dad had a great idea and we went part way and stopped in St. Joseph for the afternoon and walked around.  It gave us a chance to get you out of your carseat.  You stayed in a hotel for the first time that night and did great.  The next morning we drove the rest of the way to Boyne City.  We had a great 10 days there - lots of snuggle and nap time the first week and then lots of play time and loving by the whole Adams family!

St. Joe's





First time in a hotel

You loved the boat and took excellent naps outside!  We went to Charlevoix and Petosky and you were a champ in your stroller most of the time.

First trip to Murray's

First night at Meme's



First time at Red Mesa

Having fun in your stroller

Sunset on Lake Charlevoix

Napping on the boat

Standing like a big boy!

Auntie Andra and Uncle Casey

Auntie Katie

More naps....

Nana

The babies with Nana and Papa

Your very first 4th of July!

We also started experiencing your witching hour this month...for a few weeks you cried non-stop from 7 or 8 pm until 10 or 11.  It was all we could do to get you to relax.  You wouldn't eat, didn't want to be held OR put down, didn't want to rock...nothing helped.  It caused more than a few tears on both of our parts.   We worked through it but it was tough.

On a happier note, you started smiling in ernest this month.  We got lots of smiley pictures of you and it made all of those trying times worth it.

Oops, kinda messy with the formula...

At your two month check up, you weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs, 2 oz and were 23" long!  I was thrilled to know how well you were doing.  You also had to get your shots - it was absolutely horrible. For me.  The nurse was great and had the needles in and out before you knew what hit you.  But you had the silent cry for what seemed like forever and then just sobbed in my arms.  I cried just as hard but you stopped much quicker.  Actually, you stopped crying before we even got out of the exam room.  Me on the other hand - took a bit longer.  I'm just going to say I still had lots of hormones going on.

We were so busy in June is was hard to believe how quickly time was passing by.  Only one more month until I had to go back to work.  I was so acutely aware of it that I had to actively not think about it.

I'm sure I missed some milestones in there, but the most important thing is that you were growing into a strong, healthy boy and we were all adjusting and enjoying being a family of 3.

Love,
Mama